


Heartlines

by FloorNinja



Category: Brave Police J-Decker
Genre: Family, Friendship, Gen, Humor, Multi, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-02-21
Updated: 2015-06-25
Packaged: 2017-11-30 00:25:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/693244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FloorNinja/pseuds/FloorNinja
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>***Characters and relationships (when applicable) now in the title for each drabble. Feel free to browse!</p>
<p>Moments in time. Snapshots, oneshots and drabbles. All characters, all heart.<br/>THIS TIME: Everyone has a home. For some, it just takes a bit of searching to find it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Always - Shadowmaru

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into 中文 available: [Heartlines (Chinese Version)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1604129) by [orphan_account](https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account)



> Author: Ninja  
> Author's note: This will be our dumping ground for shorter material and prompts. We hope you enjoy!

He always came back here.

The sun was waning large and bold. It illuminated wisps of clouds that drifted, indifferent, before and about it, each lit like flame. The horizon stretched for miles, almost endless, out into the sea. Every wave shimmered red in the light and specked with gold.

There was no doubt a million places across the globe where one could stand and be transfixed by a similar sight; the same sun, the same light. But he always came here, to this spot, because here things were different somehow - here there was meaning. Here, beneath the water and the air was something precious; something of him.

In times of trouble and uncertainty he always came here, without fail, and he wasn't sure what was sadder: that he always did so, or that being here in this place always managed to comfort him.

“What do you say?” he asked the air. His gaze pierced past the red of the sky; past the dark sweep of his helm, looking at nothing but looking  _for_ something. It was a something he knew was long gone.

And it was always the same question asked in slightly different ways: _What would you do?_

It was quiet. Buildings, old and shadowed, groaned. A pier stretched out before him empty of movement. The post beneath his feet bore his weight with ease. He felt suspended and weightless, as though he existed outside of time even though the steady descent of the sun told him otherwise. Sliver by sliver it disappeared always without fail, marking yet another day.

He knew himself. He knew why he always came here, knew what brought him here and what called to him with the advance of every night. He knew the urge for what it was: the opportunity to breathe life into a ghost, to reach out and touch memory. Sentimental, he realized, and so very human – this he knew as well.

_Armor moving in the dark. A red glint, a small smile. The blur of movement, the sigh of air, cold and rushing._

“ _Slow today.”_

“ _Faster than you.”_

He turned his head. Littering the landscape behind him was a multitude of lights; a blanket of white and blue that washed out the stars. The city gleamed alive and distant and as stark against the sky as he.

_Hands moving in the light. A small smile, a green flash. The tap of movement, the whine of tools, dull and sparking._

“ _Another mode?”_

“ _A tank this time.”_

So little escaped him. Every sensor whirred with life. Within and about him nothing was still. Nothing, that is, except for his body; always upright, balanced, arms crossed, pulsing with the here and now.

_Shadows shifting in the light. A green flash, a thin laugh. The brush of movement, the glint of weapons, quick as lightning._

“ _This will be the last upgrade.”_

“ _Soon you'll be complete.”_

The sun dipped lower. Color bled away with it, tinting his purple armor black. It was always this subtle shift that brought him back and untangled his thoughts and drew his gaze back to the sea. His vents sighed as though he were breathing.

Always, just before the plunge, he managed one last breath.

/Dekkado to Shadowmaru,/ the radio crackled, always on cue. /Checking in./

“ _Will you be there?”_

/This is Shadowmaru. On my way./

_Gaze downcast in the dark. A sad smile, a small frown. The lack of movement, a slow nod, all wrapped in silence._

He leaped, wings flaring; sharp, black, sudden, outlined by the sun, always shifting shape at the apex of the jump with his thrusters screaming toward the sky.

“ _I don't know why I ask. You always are.”_

* * *

_Live my life to the fullest, you told me. Two laughs for every one; once for me, and once for you._

_What do you say, Kagerou? Does that sound fair?_

_You always kept your promises._

_Well... So will I._

 


	2. Choked up - Gunmax/Shadowmaru

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gunmax finds himself in a difficult position.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author: Floor  
> Timeline: Post episode 25

_Stupid machine._

That's what it was; just an unintelligent accumulation of metal parts. It did not have thoughts and emotions like he did, and it was just meant to do its job.  _One job._

" **Come on!** " Gunmax tried starting Gun Bike again, to no avail. The bike's engine coughed at him and he narrowed his optics at it. For a soulless vehicle, it sure had some nerve cutting out on him like this - and in the middle of his patrol, too.

The Motorcycle Detective dismounted his bike and stepped onto the damp morning grass. The roads were quieter this time of day, with only the occasional car passing his roadside pit stop. A white hatchback sped past him with a young face pressed against the window in the backseat.  _What are you gawking at?_

Gunmax flicked his visored optics over Gun Bike and didn't know exactly what he was looking for. Nothing  _looked_  broken. Despite it being a 'stupid machine,' the biker always made sure his transport was in good shape. After all, he had to be seen riding it. He checked the connections to see if anything was loose, and then checked that the gauge was correct by inspecting the fuel level of the tank.

Everything appeared to be in order.

That only made Gunmax even more frustrated. He kicked Gun Bike's tyre angrily.

"Doesn't that count as domestic violence?"

Gunmax twisted sharply at the sound of another's voice behind him. Right when he recognised Shadowmaru's familiar face, Gun Bike fell against the back of his legs and slammed him ungracefully to the ground. With his bike now on top of him, Gunmax found himself staring at a very small weed growing in the grass.

He heard a chuckle. "Looks like Gun Bike can hold her own."

The biker spat a mouthful of dirt. " _'It'_  is being a pain in the ass."  _Quite literally._

"My apologies." An outstretched hand appeared in Gunmax's limited field of vision. "I didn't realise you two were on those kind of terms." The green brave reached for the hand and was pulled from beneath the fallen bike. Once brought to his feet, he quickly brushed at his body to make himself more presentable for... uh... his current company. He wiped the dirt from his face and straightened his visor. Shadowmaru just... waited.

Gunmax heard himself snort with laughter despite everything. "At least boyscout didn't see that. I wouldn't be allowed out unescorted for a week!"

Shadowmaru's lips quirked into a smirk. "I won't tell him anything."

"Good."

Gunmax... realised he was standing really close to Shadowmaru. The taller mech had angled his face down and Gunmax found himself staring into emerald optics. He stepped back a couple of times but came to a halt when the back of his foot hit his bike.  _Dammit._ He was still close. Too close. Gunmax folded his arms over his chest in order to maintain what self-confidence he had left. "Why are you here, anyway?" He tried grinning, but stopped when he felt the texture of dirt on his teeth. He opted for a smirk instead. "Do your secret missions involve spying on handsome bikers?"

"Hmm." Shadowmaru made an amused noise and stepped further back into the ditch and away from Gunmax. "Unfortunately, no. I was just in the neighbourhood. You looked like you needed help."

Gunmax snorted. "I would have been just fine."

Shadowmaru gave him a quick glance over (Gunmax tried not to feel embarrassed.) "Looks that way."

Ignoring him (because that seemed like the best way to not notice how alluring he was), Gunmax turned and began to lift Gun Bike upright. The vehicle was roughly twice his weight so this was no easy task. When he lifted higher, the pressure lessened and Gunmax glanced aside to find Shadowmaru was helping him. "I don't need your hel-"

"I know."

"... Thanks."

"You're welcome."

The bike stood on its tyres once more. Gunmax balanced the heavy machine on its stand and noticed Shadowmaru was looking over it.

"It just cut out on me," he explained to the ninja brave who was currently leaned over the bike in a totally-not-attractive way.

"Did you check the fuel tank?" Shadowmaru asked him.

"Of course."  _I'm not always this idiotic._ _Only when you're around..._

The violet brave rocked the bike lightly in his grip before opening the fuel tank to peer inside. "Just as I suspected."

"It's full?" Gunmax answered, sarcastic.

"Sand."

"Huh?" Gunmax moved around Gun Bike to stand next to him.

"Who looked over Gun Bike after..." Shadowmaru's voice faltered.

Realisation dawned on the Motorcycle Detective.  _The chieftain incident..._ "Tsunekawa," was his reply.

"There's sand in the tank," Shadowmaru explained while replacing the cap. "It causes the engine to stall."

Gunmax straightened and looked at nothing in particular. "How did you know?"

Shadowmaru's form was unmoving; a dark shape in the corner of Gunmax's vision. He then said the one word Gunmax had hoped he wouldn't:

"Experience."


	3. Melon Butt - Power Joe, kids

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Power Joe bonds with the kids.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author: Ninja

There was a song. It was an English song and  _preeetty_  old, but it was kind of catchy and hell if Power Joe didn't currently have it stuck in his head. There was just something about it, you know? It spoke to his very  _soul_.

_These boots are made for walking~_

Well, sort of. He couldn't wear boots (not in this body. Maybe if they were really big? Wait, cancel that thought.  _The Commissioner might hear_.) He did, however, have tracks and a fine pair of treads.

Feeling inspired, Power Joe determined that a bit of self-editing was in order. The dial on his radio flicked up a notch.

_These treads are made for..._

They sort of... rolled?

_These treads are made for rolling~_   _And that's just what they'll..._

Eh, it just didn't have the same ring to it. There really needed to be more songs about power shovels out there.

Disappointment set in.

"Hey, hey!" the power shovel in question barked at the two children currently crowding his dash. "Back in the seat, kiddos."

"Aw, but we're really squished," Masaki complained while peeking out the driver's window.

"Too bad," Power Joe sing-songed with an airy laugh. "It's one seat, so you have to share. Now hop back on."

Knowing this was a battle they couldn't win, Masaki and his squishy accomplice - Kikumaro - climbed back onto the seat with a shuffle of limbs. The seat belt promptly snapped back over them. After a bit of wriggling, the two boys appeared to settle down. Confident in the knowledge that his little charges were now secure, Power Joe shifted his focus back to the road in front of him.

"I'm almost certain there's a law against this," Kikumaro whispered to no one while straightening his glasses. Power Joe did a quick internal search via his database. It seemed there  _was_  a law against sticking two kids in a single seat. However, there was also a law about power shovels and roads, which was just silly. Power Joe flicked both of the notations to the side.  _Hmph._

"Looks like Emily had the right idea," Masaki said and peered over the dashboard.

Seated comfortably in the shovel's scoop facing them, and with a great deal of space to sprawl all her stuff in, was Emily. The younger girl sat with her legs skipping idly between the scoop's dull teeth and had one hand clutching a melon-flavored ice cream bar. When she noticed the two boys squinting at her through the window she giggled and waved with her free hand.

"I told you the scenic seat was better," Power Joe informed them. Yuuta quite enjoyed it, after all. Sometimes. ...Just not that one time. You know. The first time.

"Yeah, but it doesn't have a seat belt," Masaki argued.

"Pfft! Why'd you need that?" Power Joe rebutted with a chuff of his engine. "I'm plenty safe!"

"Then why'd you make us sit down?" Kikumaro wondered.

Power Joe sputtered. Emily, looking a little concerned at the sudden bobbing of the vehicle that jostled her pig-tails, tapped a finger at his scoop.

"Mr. Power Joe," she piped up. "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing!" the power shovel raced to assure her. Turning his vocalizer back inward, he addressed both Masaki and Kikumaro in what was a very firm and not at all sheepish tone. "Look, I'm a member of the Brave Police. I'm allowed to be-" He quickly flicked through his internal dictionary. "- _Incongruous._ "

"...You looked that up..."

Emily continued enjoying her ice cream and was oblivious to the outburst of laughter that radiated from the power shovel's interior. Power Joe, for his part, let himself feel a bit embarrassed, but after the initial fluster passed the sound of the kids' laughter was far more adorable than it was belittling and he found himself laughing with them.  _That_  caused the young girl to startle and upon noticing Masaki and Kikumaro peeling with laughter in the seat in front of her, she wrinkled her nose and tugged at the sturdy yellow boom above her head.

"Hey!" she cried. "Are you guys making jokes?"

"Heh- eh heh," the trundling Brave chuckled. (Masaki took the opportunity to make faces at her from beyond the glass. Emily stuck her tongue out at him.) "Ah, they're just laughing at me. You can do that from out here, if you want."

"Why would I do that?" she asked while leaning forward to clasp her hands together. "Emily loves Power Joe!"

"Shucks..." Power Joe's stripes tinted red. "That's good to know."

"What's going on?" It was Kikumaro's turn to tap at the glass. "What is she saying?"

"Hey, Emily, knock it off!" Masaki pouted. "Just cause you got to sit in the big seat..."

"It's weird not being able to see where you're going, but I think I like it better there," Kikumaro admitted.

"What's this?" Power Joe spoke up. "You two want to seat hop?"

"Can we?"

"Sure."

Power Joe pulled over so that the boys could pile out. Emily, disenchanted with this new arrangement, promptly hopped out of the scoop and climbed up into the cab. Power Joe focused his sensors on her when the door clicked shut and he resumed trundling. "Crowded?" he prompted once she'd gotten settled.

"Um... No," she answered while clicking the buckle in place. "But I did spill some melon in there."

"Uh oh." So that's what that sticky sensation was.

The startled cries of the two boys rang clearly through the cloudless day, and this time it was Power Joe and Emily's turn to laugh at them.


	4. Humdrum - Deckerd

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taking a break isn't so easy for some.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author: Floor

The day never seemed to end.

Not that it was technically longer than any other day, it still comprised of exactly 23 hours 56 minutes and 4 seconds as usual. But each hour seemed to drag by.

Deckerd never usually had this problem. He was passionate about his work and there was always a lot to do at the station when patrols weren’t keeping him busy. He would record his day’s work and file expense reports. When there was no paperwork, he would make sure his team was getting along. When his team wasn’t there, he would clean the Decker room. And when everything was completed for the day, he would drive Yuuta to his family home to rest for the night.

Except Yuuta wasn’t here today; the boy was home sick with a cold.  _I hope Yuuta is feeling better…_ Most of the other braves were missing, either out on patrols or helping Commissioner Saejima construct his new tennis court. Which also meant that there wasn’t much to clean since there weren’t mud-caked metal feet traipsing back and forth over near the Build Team’s side of the room. Deckerd had finished his paperwork an hour ago leaving him pondering over thoughts.

"So Duke," Deckerd attempted small talk with the only other person in the room, "How is Regina?"

The Knight Detective looked up from his book. “Lady is good,” He smiled slightly, “Busy, but good.”

"Ah, Regina is the type who likes to keep busy."  _So am I…_

"She is," Duke replied, "But she always makes time to write me a letter."

_Maybe I should write a letter… but to who? Yuuta?_

"Is something the matter?"

Deckerd realised that the other brave was talking to him.

"Oh. It’s nothing." Deckerd waved a hand dismissively, embarrassed that he had been caught staring into space.

Duke placed his book down carefully on the desk in front of him, revealing the cover ( _'Fourteenth Century England'._ ) “You seem… distracted.”

"I was just thinking," Deckerd explained, "There’s not much to do while work is quiet."

Duke looked as if he was about to say something when the door slid open and a loud voice filled the room. “Wow. Don’t have too much fun, you two.”

_Gunmax._

Shadowmaru followed the Motorcycle Detective through the door. They had just returned from their patrol.

"Gunmax," Duke greeted with a nod of his head, "Shadowmaru."

"Patrol was a snore," Gunmax sat back on his seat and flung his legs onto the desk in front of him, resting his arms behind his head, "Looks like crime took a day off."

Shadowmaru caught Deckerd’s optics. “Nothing to report, master Dekkado.”

"I’m afraid there’s not too much work for you here, either." The Brave Detective smiled apologetically. "Why don’t you two take the afternoon off?"

“ **Sweet!** " Gunmax cheered, reclining further in his chair. "Why don’t we check out the coastal highway, pooch?"

"Hold up," Duke spoke up. Deckerd turned to him. "Dekkado, you have nothing to do either. Why don’t you take some time off?"

"But-"

"I can handle things here." Duke gave him a gentle smile, optics quickly flicking to the two other braves. "I’ll contact you if something comes up."

Duke was already proving himself as a second-in-command. Once he had opened his heart and mind to the others, there had been an all-around increase in respect. Despite this, Deckerd still felt protective of him. Duke was a sensitive soul.

"Are you sure?" The blue brave asked him. "I wouldn’t want to-"

"Dekkado,"

"Yes?"

"You’re allowed to take a break."

"Sir Knight is right," Shadowmaru added his input from his stance near the corner of the room, "And I have full confidence he will do fine without you."

Duke smiled at the ninja in a silent thanks.

"He’s a big boy now." Gunmax agreed, returning his feet to the floor to turn towards his leader.

Deckerd glanced at each of his teammates and felt a warmth in his AI. He was fortunate to work with friends.

"Okay," Deckerd stood from his seat, "But," He looked to Duke this time. "Don’t work yourself too hard. The Build Team will be back soon and sometimes they can be-"

"I’ve got this, Dekkado." Duke assured him.

"Don’t worry, Knight," Gunmax strode over to the red and white brave and slapped a hand on his shoulder. Duke flinched slightly. "We’ll keep an eye on him. Make sure he doesn’t try to do his job or something silly like that."

"Appreciated…" Duke shrugged from Gunmax’s grip.

"So where to?" Deckerd asked, looking at both Gunmax and Shadowmaru. "I haven’t even thought about-"

"How about we stop in on mini-boss first?" The ninja suggested, "See how he’s doing?"

Deckerd walked towards the hallway, waving a goodbye to Duke before the other two joined his side. “I would like that.”


	5. Santa's Giant Helper - DrillBoy, Power Joe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Brave Police get into the Christmas spirit!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author: Floor

Christmas Eve sure could be exciting. Past Christmases aside, it was a joyful time of year for the Braves, and most especially for the Kung Fu Detective.

Power Joe fumbled with the small ribbon while struggling to tie his festive stocking to the side of his Decker Room desk. The silky material slipped through his metal fingers and stubbornly resisted his valiant attempts. With frustration building, the yellow Brave removed his giant-sized stapler from a draw and stapled the sock to the desk.

"What are you doing?" An orange head slid into view and peered curiously at the stocking.

"What does it look like? I’m hanging my Santa stocking, you numbskull!" Power Joe pushed his brother’s face away with a shove and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Heyyy! I was just looking!" Drillboy complained loudly. Suddenly he stopped and his face wore a puzzled expression, "Wait. Does this mean you believe in Santa Claus?"

Power Joe stiffened in his seat. “Of course I do! Who else delivers presents to children all around the world?”

Drillboy unsuccessfully stifled a laugh. “That’s so childish! Even I don’t believe Santa is real!”

"I oughta…" The Kung Fu Detective leapt to his feet, his fists tight with anger. "Emily told me he delivers presents to her every year, so it must be true!"

"No way! Not even I can fly around the world in one night! It’s impossib…" Drillboy’s words trailed off, "Unless…"

Power Joe’s posture relaxed when Drillboy seemed to stare off into space. “Unless what?”

"Shadowmaru does fly very fast… a lot faster than me…" The Soccer Detective tapped at his chin.

"What are you saying?"

"And he does disappear a lot on secret missions…" Drillboy continued and folded his arms.

Power Joe blinked. “You think  _Shadowmaru_  is Santa?”

"I think maybe… he helps him!" Drillboy grinned excitedly, "Maybe he pulls the sleigh!"

Power Joe scratched at his helm while he flopped back into his seat. “Kigumaro said that reindeer pulled the sleigh…”

"Shadowmaru has a lot of secrets," Drillboy explained, "maybe it’s another of his alternate forms!" 

"Another alternate form?" A third voice interrupted. "And what would that be?" 

Power Joe very nearly fell out of his chair when Shadowmaru himself seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

"Sh-Shadowmaru!" Drillboy spluttered, "When did you-?"

The Ninja Detective stood confidently over them with an amused smirk on his face. “You two are up late. What are you up to?”

Drillboy opened his mouth to respond so Power Joe jumped up and slapped his hand over it."We were just leaving!" The yellow brave tried to laugh convincingly, "Err, have a nice night!"

Shadowmaru made an amused noise. “Thank you, mister Kung Fu. I have an important mission that should keep me busy.”

Power Joe felt a sharp inhale of air through the hand over Drillboy’s mouth as the orange brave gasped. 

Shadowmaru raised a brow. 

The Kung Fu Detective quickly grabbed his brother’s shoulders and pushed him towards the door. “Well, guess the twerp is tired! Better get him to his recharge dock!” 

Shadowmaru changed into his canine mode and strode past them. “Best you both get to sleep before Santa arrives.” 

Power Joe and Drillboy glanced at each other, their optics wide. Suddenly the hall was a-roar with the thundering of heavy footfalls as the two brothers raced each other to the repair bay.


	6. Sanctuary - McCrane, Seia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone has a home. For some, it just takes a bit of searching to find it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author: Floor

"McCrane!"

The Combat Detective looked up from his shotgun to see his small human friend jogging towards him. His attention was drawn towards the leaf of paper she waved in the air.

"We received a letter from our friend," Seia Onoue explained, sweeping her hair back from her face once she finally reached where he sat.

"Our friend?" McCrane sifted through the possibilities in his mind but came up with inconclusive results. He leaned over, placing his weapon to the side as he shuffled on the large container (there was no shortage of large metal things to sit on whenever McCrane visited the military base.) She held out the letter for him to receive.

As McCrane retrieved it, his optics brightened upon seeing the photo that had been attached with a paperclip. It was picture of a rather large panda bear with three rather small humans cuddled into its belly fur. "Ah! Is that-?"

"Our panda friend? Yes," Seia smiled, "Seems he has finally found a home."

The crane mech quickly scanned the writing. According to the note, the panda had settled at a wildlife sanctuary in China where he was warmly welcomed by the head caretaker and his family. The caretaker had written the letter as thanks to the Brave Police and Defense Forces for saving his new friend.

"Boss will be happy to hear." McCrane felt his A.I. warm. It wasn't every day they got such great news.

"And it's all thanks to you." Seia crossed her arms over the front of her uniform.

"Huh?"

"'Twas beauty tamed the beast." She winked.

McCrane tilted his head in confusion.


End file.
